“In the agrifood sector, the special link that often ties the product to its place of origin gives rise to specific issues concerning trademark protection, counterfeiting and unfair competition.”

Traditional origin products are the result of several unique and closely interdependent conditions – a certain natural environment, age-old custom, characteristic handicraft skills. These conditions are often limited to very restricted areas.

The value of such products lies in their uniqueness as well as in their high quality.

Global demand for traditional origin agrifood products has been rising constantly over the years. When marketed abroad, such products often become niche or luxury goods, attracting diverse forms of counterfeiting, usurpation and dilution.

Obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights worldwide on the denominations, geographical indications and trademarks that identify those products has therefore become of paramount importance.

Italian and European Union laws provide specific protection for intellectual property rights on Geographical Indications and Denominations of Origin.

Protection issues

Protected denomination of origin, geographical indication or trademark? The choice of the most suitable form of protection is key.

But effective intellectual property advice in the area of traditional origin agrifood products also requires the deployment of a global strategy for the enforcement of denominations, trademarks and any other applicable intellectual property right.

Such a strategy must include pre-emptive protection as well as active enforcement, from watching services on the registration of conflicting trademarks to firm opposition against counterfeiting on and off line. These measures and actions should always be personalised according to the specificity of the product and to the client’s needs.

Our services for the protection of traditional origin agrifood products

We offer advanced services concerning the registration and enforcement of geographical indications and other intellectual property rights on traditional origin agrifood products.

We advise and assist clients on the protection of intellectual property rights on traditional origin agrifood products in Italy and the European Union.

We file applications for the registration of geographical indications valid throughout the European Union and develop global strategies from protection to enforcement in Italy and abroad. We assist clients in litigation as well as in requesting customs to prevent the entry into the European Union of goods infringing intellectual property rights on traditional origin agrifood products.

Why choose SIB

There are very few IP firms with a vast experience in the global protection of traditional origin agrifood products. Our firm is among those very few.

Our dedicated team provides individually tailored advice, assistance and innovative strategies to several producers associations of internationally renowned Italian geographical indications.

We are also active members of major international associations promoting the protection of intellectual property rights on traditional origin agrifood products.

–> How we work

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